Open AccessCommodities and Sexual Subjectivities: A Look at Capitalism and Its Desires
Author(s) -
Curtis Debra
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
cultural anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.669
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1548-1360
pISSN - 0886-7356
DOI - 10.1525/can.2004.19.1.95
Subject(s) - capitalism , subjectivity , commodity , consumption (sociology) , ethnography , sociology , human sexuality , production (economics) , gender studies , style (visual arts) , political science , social science , economics , epistemology , anthropology , market economy , history , law , politics , philosophy , archaeology , macroeconomics
The links between the production of sexual subjectivity and commodity consumption exemplify how capitalism thrives through the production of plurality and difference. Tupperware‐style sex‐toy parties organized by and for women provide the ethnographic ground for exploring the question of how sex toys marketed in this venue incite consumer desires and reshape sexual practices. Using an interpretative approach to understanding the effects of the home‐based parties as well as in‐depth interviews with participants, this article demonstrates how marketing practices encourage the proliferation of multiple sexualities.